Lillian
New member
You would expect an album by a trumpet player to be firmly in the jazz field, but PAVANE by Paul Higgs surprises the listener at every turn. Sure this instrumental album has some jazzy phrases, but it also reflects all of his background, especially the theater. Higgs served for many years as the Musical Director for the National Theatre of Great Britain. He also has contributed to dozens of film soundtracks and television scores. To round out his experience Higgs has performed onstage with Peggy Lee, Cleo Laine, Rosemary Clooney, Buddy Greco, Nancy Wilson, Al Martino, Lulu, Tony Hatch, John Williams, Brook Benton, Vic Damone, Bob Monkhouse, Alan Price, Frankie Vaughan, Shorty Rogers and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. So there also are elements of classical and classic Fifties-era popular music that are incorporated even though this Higgs album is all instrumental.
For example, the first piece, Crystalline, is probably the most upbeat on the album and has a definite jazzy feel to it, but not just the trumpet is featured, but he also gives a jazz guitar a solo break and another solo to what sounds like a viola player. The tune Parisienne Affair has a decidedly theater-like ambience to it. The title track, Pavane, is so classical-sounding, you might think it was written 200 years ago. All of the music was composed by Higgs, who also plays all the piano on the CD.
Higgs has a knack for writing melodic material that is seldom overt in pulling in the listeners attention, but he gets it all the same. A master of subtlety, Higgs plays very slow on most of the pieces, but he wrings the emotion out of each melody. This is beautiful music that is highly recommended to anyone who likes gentle instrumentals.
For example, the first piece, Crystalline, is probably the most upbeat on the album and has a definite jazzy feel to it, but not just the trumpet is featured, but he also gives a jazz guitar a solo break and another solo to what sounds like a viola player. The tune Parisienne Affair has a decidedly theater-like ambience to it. The title track, Pavane, is so classical-sounding, you might think it was written 200 years ago. All of the music was composed by Higgs, who also plays all the piano on the CD.
Higgs has a knack for writing melodic material that is seldom overt in pulling in the listeners attention, but he gets it all the same. A master of subtlety, Higgs plays very slow on most of the pieces, but he wrings the emotion out of each melody. This is beautiful music that is highly recommended to anyone who likes gentle instrumentals.
...........